Former US diplomat Joel Rayburn: Head of Syrian regime Bashar al-Assad must be held accountable

WASHINGTON D.C. — Former US envoy to Syria Joel Rayburn renewed his call for the head of the Syrian regime to be held accountable for the crimes he has committed against the Syrian people.

“A significant portion of the material has been compiled which provides indisputable evidence of the regime’s involvement in some of the worst atrocities committed during the conflict,” Rayburn said in media remarks on Saturday.

Rayburn had said earlier that the fact that Assad cannot be victorious must be understood, that he will never regain his strength, that Syria will not be stable under his rule, that the Syrian people will not stop opposing him, and the international community must implement “policies that realize this” and “anything else is unreal”.

In this regard, on the 7th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254, the US Embassy in Damascus stressed via Twitter that the only viable solution to end the Syrian conflict is a political solution and requires leadership that represents the will of the entire Syrian people. “The Assad regime must stop obstructing progress and negotiate honestly for the sake of the Syrian people,” it wrote.

Both chambers of US Congress have approved a draft resolution that lays down an American strategy to stop drug production and trafficking and dismantle networks linked to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Lawmakers were able to integrate the project into the 2023 Defense Department budget with near unanimous support in the Senate.

On the 7th anniversary of UNSCR 2254, we reaffirm that a Syrian-led political solution representing the will of all Syrians remains the only viable solution to the conflict. The Assad regime must stop obstructing progress & should negotiate in good faith for the Syrian people.

— U.S. Embassy Syria (@USEmbassySyria) December 18, 2022